


The Good Timeline

by dr33g



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Coming Out, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Parallels To Canon Events, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, Transitioning, also all of the devilmen are trans cuz i said so ;;;;))), and instead loves his boyfriend, basically ryo realizes his satan really early in this au and decides Nah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-11 10:10:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13522035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dr33g/pseuds/dr33g
Summary: The cycle of death and rebirth is one that is familiar to Satan, also known as Asuka Ryo. It's God’s curse upon him. To love, to have that love destroyed, and then to rediscover that love in the next life.But time is a finicky thing. It shifts and moves and tangles and stains. And in a particular timeline, Ryo recognizes how to break his habit, if only once, and to love the one that saved him without needing to end the world.And it happens simply because he remembers as a child. He watches the Devilman anime, and when he sees Satan crying at the end, he realizes that has been his destiny time and time again. He is Satan, and that if he wants to have Akira, he needs to not summon an army of demons and try to end humanity. I mean, who could’ve thought of that one, right?He tells Jenny this first. She is, of course, upset at first, but when he says it’s only this time around, and that next time they’ll do it again, the way they always have, she relents. She also gets the feeling that he’ll ask for this until he succeeds in a break from his punishment, so she might as well make this one easy for him. The population of demons is told that Satan wants one peaceful lifetime.And so begins the good timeline.





	1. Akira

**Author's Note:**

> HEYLO !! WELCOME !! im glad ur choosing to read my fic :>  
> essentially this post came from the idea that ryo made akira devilman cuz he saw the first episode of the devilman anime, thought 'hey that dudes kinda hot. imma make my own' and made his crush a smexy demon  
> but instead he watches the whole thing and realizes Oh Shit, Can't Do That, Guess I'll Just Love My Boyfriend Instead  
> also !!!! this is based off of the idea that devilmen are a huuuuge metaphor for being trans !!! feel free to suggest ideas, though as my dear friend bridgette knows, i've already got a fuckton ;)  
> (also... me using she/her for taro is on purpose......... for reasons ;;;)))

The cycle of death and rebirth is one that is familiar to Satan, also known as Asuka Ryo. It is God’s curse upon him. To love, to have that love destroyed, and then to rediscover that love in the next life.

But time is a finicky thing. It shifts and moves and tangles and stains. And in a particular timeline, Ryo recognizes how to break his habit, if only once, and to love the one that saved him without needing to end the world.

And it happens simply because he remembers as a child. He watches the Devilman anime, and when he sees Satan crying at the end, he realizes that has been his destiny time and time again, as he is Satan, and that if he wants to have Akira, he needs to not summon an army of demons and try to end humanity. I mean, who could’ve thought of that one, right?

He tells Jenny of this first. She is, of course, upset at first, but when he says it’s only this time around, and that next time they’ll do it again, the way they always have, she relents. She also gets the feeling that he’ll ask for this until he succeeds in a break from his punishment, so she might as well make this one easy for him. The population of demons is told that Satan wants one peaceful lifetime, and he gets that.

And so begins the good timeline.

-

Akira wakes up to knocking at his door.

“Akira, it’s time to get up! Breakfast is ready!” Miki says.

“Alright! Be down in a moment!” He sits up in bed with a trademark grin on his face. He quickly gets ready, though, as per usual, he gets trapped in his binder for longer than he’d like. It’s not that it’s too tight, he just puts it on poorly, even after years of practice. Once he finally manages to roll it down his chest, he finishes getting ready and heads downstairs for breakfast, sitting at his normal place at the end of the table.

Taro comes barreling down the stairs, yelling, “Good morning, Nii-san!” A rush of warmth that is both gender euphoria and love for Taro rushes through Akira’s chest. Taro takes her place at the table as Noel and Akiko come in with the last few dishes and they place them on the table.

Taro reaches out to grab some, but Noel says, “Not before we pray.” Taro frowns and then nods, putting her hands together. The family prays, asking the Lord for a good day and for their food to nourish them and bless them and all that stuff. It took all of 5 seconds after saying ‘Amen’ for Taro to begin stuffing herself. 

“Slow down, Taro-chan,” said Akiko. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

Taro said, “Shahwwy,” or at least, that’s what it sounded like because of her stuffed mouth. Her little pigtails stuck out uneven under her hat, and there was rice stuck to her face, which made Akira’s smile a little brighter. Miki grabbed Taro’s face, wiping off the rice as Taro whined, “Stooooooooop.” This only made everyone chuckle.

“I’m only cleaning you up, Taro.” Miki has a grin on her face, too. 

All in all, a standard day for the Makimura family and the Fudo living under their roof.

And the day continues to be standard. Akira walks with his pseudo-sister to school, meeting up with Kuroda as on the way. School is monotonous but not too difficult, and he has track after school, at which he hears derogatory comments towards both him and Kuroda.

“Damn, it’s a shame Akira’s a dude. His tits are pretty nice. Though they in no way compare to the way Miko’s jiggle when she runs, heh.” Akira refrains from crossing his arms around his ribcage. As the child of two doctors, he knows not to exercise in his binder, but his sports bra never quite stops the other guys on his team from commenting on his chest. He’s almost jealous Miki’s too fast for anyone to comment on anything but her speed.

But, it is nothing he is not used to, and it’s a selfish wish to ask that Miki gets the comments instead of him.

Everything changes, though, after practice. 

Akira follows Miki to a dock. He’s not sure why she’s there, but she ends up being harassed by some rappers. He, as always, saves her.

“Excuse me! Could you leave her alone?” The rappers turn to him.

“Oh? Are you a mermaid? Did you come from the sea?”

“Yep! I’m a mystical mermaid, and I’m asking you to stop bothering my friend.” Just as the rappers begin to retort, a very nice car drives up to the dock and out of it comes, to Akira’s surprise, his childhood best friend, Ryo, wearing the strangest coat Akira has ever seen. It’s probably expensive as hell. “R-Ryo-chan?”

“Akira! Come!” Akira can barely hold in his excitement as he climbs out of the boat and rushes as fast as his legs can carry him to hug Ryo. They hug tightly and spin around and Akira feels so very light and warm. When they stop, they look into each other’s eyes with looks of pure adoration, though, like the gay idiots they are, neither can recognize anything but platonic love in the other.

Miki sure can though, and Akira’s face prompts her to ask, “Akira! Who’s this?”

“This is my childhood friend, Asuka Ryo! He’s our age, but he’s a professor in the states!”

“Akira, let’s go! I’m taking you somewhere.”

“Hm?” Excitement dances through Akira’s veins. The rappers, no longer stunned into silence, almost begin talking, but then, in typical Ryo fashion, Ryo whips out a machine gun and destroys a portion of the dock, whisking Akira into his car and speeding off.

Everyone left at the dock is left in shock.

-

“Ryo, where are we going?” Akira says after about 2 minutes of silence.

“The doctor.”

“Huh?” Ryo grins so wide it’s a surprise his face doesn’t rip.

He turns to Akira and says, “We’re taking you to a doctor and putting you on T.”

Akira doesn’t register the words at first, instead, he replies, “Watch the road!” After a few seconds, his brain processes what Ryo said. “Wait. What?”

“I’ll pay for all of it, so don’t worry.”

Akira is so stunned that he barely utters, “I-I. Ryo, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s really nothing.” Also, Ryo had ulterior motives called being a gay ass bitch. And, to be fair, that’s quite the mood. Being really gay and doing dorky things because of it is the mood of the century, even.

“But it is something, Ryo. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to since I realized it was a thing. I can’t even begin to thank you enough.”

“Like I said, don’t worry about it. It’s my 7th-17th birthday gift to you.”

Akira smiles, not quite crying, and says, “Thank you, Ryo.”

Ryo’s face grows slightly pink due to the amount of raw emotion in Akira’s voice, and he says, “Of course.”

-

The doctor enters the room and Akira sits up slightly straighter, the only straight thing he’s ever done as if to prove he’s manly. The doctor, Dr. Matsumoto Mizuki, smiles. Akira feels like she’s already trying to make the decision if he’s a real trans man, but judging by Ryo’s expression, they’re leaving with news of a prescription or they’re not leaving at all.

“Alright, Fudo, was it? Let’s get started. I’m going to ask you a few questions about yourself, and if you’d like, we could take blood today and begin testosterone as soon as we get the results back.” That sentence alone has Akira a little dazed from the giddiness running through his limbs. Akira nods and Matsumoto begins asking him questions about his medical history. Seeing as his parents are doctors, he knows everything he needs to know and answers her questions with ease. 

At least, until she asks, “Alright, so describe your dysphoria for me.”

Akira thinks for a moment, and begins, “Well… I guess ever since I was a kid I hated girly stuff? Like people would tell me I should be princess-y and it made me really mad. And as I’ve grown older it’s shifted more to discomfort?

“As for the physical aspect, I don’t. Remember that I have breasts. I’ll see them in the mirror and become confused because in my head they’re not supposed to be there and I even feel a piece of skin separating them from my body. I can’t even really comprehend my, erm, groin area without feeling nauseous, and putting on my sports bra before I exercise can cause nausea, too, particularly if I see myself in the mirror.

“I’ve presented like this since I was a kid and I always felt most comfortable this way but um. Yeah.” 

Matsumoto had been taking notes during the entire time, and when she finishes she looks up and says, “Pretty standard stuff. Now, what option for T are you thinking of? There’s gel, patches, or shots that you can either administer daily by yourself or by someone you know, or you can come in weekly to have them administered here. I won’t give you gel just because there’s a child in your house, yes? We don’t want to masculinize her, but I suggest the syringes unless you’re afraid of them, as they are much more precise.”

“Um… Taro’s known for… Getting into things she shouldn’t, so I’d prefer shots here.”

“Wonderful. Now, let’s take blood so we can get you a prescription.” The process was quick and only slightly painful, but afterward, he was free to go.

The two boys go to Ryo’s car, and once they leave the hospital, Akira speaks up. “Ryo… You didn’t talk at all during the appointment.”

“It was about you, not me.” Akira hums in understanding. “Are you excited to start T?”

“I’m unfathomably happy, yeah! I’ll finally get to look more like a real man! I’ll be… Handsome!” Akira puts up fists and scowls so he looks more menacing and manly™. 

Ryo smiles and says, “If you ask me, you’re one of the most handsome men in the world already.”

Akira flushes. He’s really not sure what he’s supposed to say to that.

-

Ryo drops Akira off at home and speeds off, leaving Akira with news and a new phone.

Ryo said it was because he needed to be able to text Akira in case of emergency, but really it was so he finally had a number in his phone he could name with the heart emoji. And also so he could show up at times that maybe weren’t as random as that day’s arrival had been. A lot of reasons, all pretty gay. 

Not that Akira knew. He thinks it’s for the reason Ryo said, emergency.

He types in all of his friends' info as he walks, which is really just Miki, Miko, Taro’s kid phone, the Makimuras, and his parents. Ryo’s number is already there. Ryo put it in earlier. 

Akira’s face feels stiff and achy as he adds a simple heart emoji next to Ryo’s name. 

He pockets his phone and heads inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING !!! kudos and comments are always super duper appreciated !!! i'll try to get the next chapter up soon !!!!  
> Next Time, On The Good Timeline: akira tells his pseudo family some stuff, taro is uncomfortable, and kuroda miki begins fighting to get her name back


	2. Taro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taro goes on a journey of discovery and finds himself right back where he started, but it's okay now. Miki makes an oath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey yall ! sorry this took a bit !!! (though to be fair i will likely take longer for the next chapter and longer than that for the chapter after etc etc if i do end up finishing this fic im sowwy ;;)  
> if you're wondering why taro's pronouns shift, its cuz i change them based on the perspective of whose talking ! everyone that knows him as a girl would use she in their perspective, but he sees himself as a boy (even if he doesnt understand how or why or what that means or he doesnt accept it) so he uses he/him in his perspective ! i hope thats clear ;;  
> also ! i'm looking for a beta of sorts !! taro and akira are both trans guys, and as a trans guy, i know how to write that ! but, miki is a trans girl, and i dont know how that feels at All, so id like some help from any transfem readers so i make sure i get how shes feeling down correctly !!! feel free to hmu on tumblr @ tetrxrch or on twitter @ kiralfonse if ur interested, or even on here works !!!  
> thank you for reading !!!! i hope u like chapter 2 :>

At dinner, Akira is strangely quiet.

He’s not sad, that Taro can tell, but he’s not talking. And Taro’s just a little bit worried. When Miki came home, she mentioned that Akira was taken by, in her words, “A twink with a machine gun”, to somewhere that she doesn’t know. Now, Taro doesn’t know what a twink is, but he is worried about his older brother. Why did the twink have a gun? What is a twink? Is it a bad thing? Are twinks mean? Is that why they had a gun? Did they hurt Akira? Taro’s about to ask about Akira’s day, but his mom beats him to it.

“Akira, Miki tells me you were visited by, erm, an old friend? What happened?”

Akira’s face lights up as he replies, “Oh! My friend from when I was really young, Asuka Ryo, came to visit! He’s a very smart guy, he’s a professor in the states,” Akira’s face falls slightly. “We just went somewhere to, erm, talk.” Ok, that last part was obviously a lie, but no one knows why Akira is hiding something.

Akira himself is unsure why. In fact, he wants to talk about it and celebrate it, but seeing as I am the all-knowing author, I’ll let you in on the reason. He doesn’t want people to go looking for his change into masculinity, he wants it to be subtle but when you look back and compare the difference is obvious, rather than everyone commenting about every little thing all of the time. Cis people do that a lot and it’s really just annoying. And then there’s the added fact that the Makimuras, while they know he’s trans, it’s something no one mentions ever. Akira’s really not sure that they’re fully aware of what he is, and if they aren’t, he’s fine with keeping it that way.

Back to Taro’s POV.

Taro frowns, cheeks semi-stuffed with rice. He’s worried. Why was Akira hiding something? Asuka didn’t hurt him, did he? Did something bad happen? Or… Did something good happen? Taro’s eyes widen. He knows that Miki has been getting on Akira about watching… Those interesting videos he watches on the family computer that Taro started watching, too. Did one of those kinda things happen? Now he’s just curious.

It had been silent for a while, so Taro says, “Did you and Asuka f-”

“OKAY SOMETHING ELSE NOW,” says Akira, who had no idea what Taro was going to say, but was done talking about his day, because in all likelihood, he’d accidentally slip up and tell the truth. Miki begins going on about her day, talking about being assaulted by some rappers and Taro goes back to focusing on his food. 

He’ll ask Akira later.

-

Akira’s just about to finish his homework when someone knocks on his bedroom door. 

“Come in!” Taro opens the door, closing it behind her, like a sane person. 

“Um, Nii-san! I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Tonight at dinner, you seemed… Off?” Taro tilts her head and scratches at her cheek. “Are you? Okay?” Akira’s face falls into a sorrowful smile. He had made his pseudo-sister worried, huh?

“I’m fine, Taro. Thank you for worrying! I’m glad I have a little sister watching out for me.” Akira laughs lightly, but he notices Taro’s face screw into what is either discomfort or worry, or possibly even both. 

“Alright, if you say so… Bye, Nii-san!” Taro leaves fairly quickly, almost as if she is upset. She forgets to close the door on her way out, too.

Akira is slightly worried, but he figures it’s nothing. 

Right?

But as he feels tears run down his face, he realizes it is something. He wouldn’t be crying if it wasn’t.

He just doesn’t know if he can help.

-

Taro slumps onto his bed and shoves his face into the covers, tears in his eyes and vomit in his throat. The word ‘sister’ echoes over and over painfully in his head. Why does he have to be a girl? It feels so… Icky. He looks at his ceiling and takes deep breaths.

Something nags at the back of his head. Something Akira talking about how he was… Different? His face contorts in focus and confusion as he wonders why this is relevant to how he’s feeling.

_ ‘I mean, I’ve seen Nii-san at home with what looks like breasts but… He’s a boy, isn’t he?’ _ All at once, Taro remembers what Akira was talking about. He had told Taro that he may have looked like a girl, but he was really a boy, even if he sometimes looked like he had girl parts.

But Taro isn’t like that. He just  _ wants _ to be a boy. But he isn’t one. 

And he cries and cries and cries. 

If only he was more like his brother.

-

The next day is Sunday, so Taro doesn’t have school. He chooses to go to the grocery store with his mom, though he feels his stomach churn when his mom calls it ‘Mommy-Daughter Time’. 

They’re about to enter the store when his mom starts talking to some of the other moms from his school. He frowns.  _ ‘Ugh, this is gonna take forever.’ _

“Good morning, Makimura-san! Did you hear?”

Akiko tilts her head and replies, “Hear what?”

One of the moms quickly says, “Himura-san’s daughter thinks she’s a boy! Isn’t that disgusting? I can’t believe my child has been interacting with someone who wants to make a deal with the devil.”  _ ‘Oh. Is it not okay to want to be a boy?’ _ “Apparently, she’s taking her away to let her live as a boy. She’s just letting her daughter play her like a fiddle and lead her to the devil’s way of thinking.”

“That’s…”

“Terrible, isn’t it?” another mom interrupts. “Oh! Your daughter is with you. Hello, Taro-chan! She’s so pretty today, isn’t she? Look at her perfect hair. So pretty.”  _ ‘Oh no. I’m going to puke. Nononononononono.’ _ The mom continues, but Taro doesn’t stay to hear the rest of the conversation, and he slinks away to the grass in the parking lot to cry.

-

_ ‘Where’s my daughter where’s my daughter where’s my daughter’ _

Akiko feels raw terror run through her as she realizes Taro isn’t still holding onto her legs when those moms finally leave. She begins calling her daughter’s name over and over. “Taro-chan! Taro! Where are you?” She wanders around the parking lot, figuring that Taro couldn’t have gone far until she hears the sound of crying. “Taro!” She runs towards the car she hears the crying emanating from.

“I’m sorry, mom. I’m so sorry,” says Taro.

“It’s alright, just don’t wander away from me ag-” Akiko turns the corner and sees Taro’s hands bleeding, in them a piece of glass she must’ve found, her hair cut at awkward angles and clumps of it on the ground.

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t take it anymore…” Akiko understands all at once. 

She picks her daughter- No, her  _ son _ , up, and says, “It’s ok, Taro. I’m sorry you couldn’t tell me sooner. We’re going clothes shopping. Come on.” And she begins typing out a message to Noel and Miki, a farewell. She’s sure that her husband will be okay with it, but she doesn’t think she can protect her little boy from all the hate unless they go somewhere new, and she couldn’t uproot Miki and Noel like that.

Hitting send, they get in the car and Akiko heads to the nearest clothes store, then somewhere to get Taro’s haircut, then the church.

_ ‘May God give me guidance and bless Taro with peace and love and acceptance from those around him. And may He give me the strength and love to give Taro what sh- he needs right now.’ _

-

Even before Akira hears the news, that Taro and Akiko are missing, he can see the pain on Miki’s face, and he begins to cry.

“Akira, Mom’s taking Taro somewhere. She’s just leaving,” she says. He hugs her, rubbing her head as they both wrack with sobs. Suddenly, an idea sparks in his head. He wipes his eyes and tries to talk.

“I’m going to ask Ryo where she is.”

“What?”

“He… Can track her phone’s GPS.”

“Do it,” Miki says with more conviction than he expects. He quickly types out to Ryo what he needs with Akiko’s phone number, and gets a response within the minute.

“She’s at the park.” 

Noel, who has been listening but not contributing, jumps up, puts on his jacket, and says, “I’m getting her. Akira, you stay here with Miki. I’ll be back with the rest of our family soon.” Noel hugs them both and bursts out the door, leaving Akira and Miki to worry.

-

Taro is in a tent with his mother. It’s cold. He’s scared. But Akiko is holding on to him tight and he’s holding onto her, too. And he thinks that maybe it will be okay, if only for a moment.

Then, he hears someone laugh a laugh that terrifies him to his core, making him realize that he isn’t safe here, and his mother isn’t, either. The laugh likely came from a drug addict, he thinks. He begins to cry.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Taro says through sobs. “If I could’ve just accepted that I’m a girl we wouldn’t be here.”

“No, Taro-chan, you’re not a girl, and it’s ok. I will protect you no matter what.” She pets his head and helps him through his tears. Her rubbing soothes him, and he is almost on the verge of sleep, when his pseudo-phone begins to ring, playing Devilman no Uta. Taro’s eyebrows furrow as he checks the caller ID.

It’s his dad.

His mother reads the ID a moment before he can react, and she begins to try to leave, though Taro is still clinging to her dress, trying to keep her from standing, but Noel arrives before she can get up.

Noel stares at him, clinging to his mother, then stares at Akiko. And Taro begins to cry again, sobs racking his body.

“Noel, I… I had to protect Taro.”

“From what? What happened to her hair?” Taro begins crying even louder. He’s so uncomfortable, and so scared of his father rejecting him.

“Taro… Is a boy. Like Akira. I thought it would be best for he- him if I took him far away from anyone that knew him, but… I couldn’t uproot you and Miki like that.” Noel blinks, and then lets a few tears fall.

“Ah, I see. Taro, do you want to go home? I bet Akira will be excited to hear about you?”

“No, we can’t. Taro won’t be accepted. We-”

“Akiko, please. We’ll protect him. Akira will help us understand and help others understand. It’ll be okay.” Akiko nods, and picks up Taro to carry him on her hip.

And they go home.

-

The second the doors open, Akira starts crying again.

He sees Akiko and Taro and he smiles. He’s so happy they’re safe.

But Taro looks… Frightened. And something’s happened.

“Nii-san…” Akiko sets Taro down and Taro goes running to Akira. “Nii-san, I’m. I’m like you, I think.”

“In what way?”

“I’m a boy, too.” Akira’s tears begin to flow more rapidly now.

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry for not noticing, little brother. But it’s ok. I’ll support you.” And Taro makes the grabby hands that Akira knows to mean that he wants a hug. And they do. And Akira feels Miki and Noel and Akiko join in.

And just for a moment, the hatred that Taro and Akira will experience for the rest of their lives seems distant. And they’re safe.

-

That same night, Kuroda Miki makes an oath to herself. She will get her name back. She chose it, god damnit, and she deserves to be called it.

Every person that has called her Miko will see. They all will.

She’s just as much Miki as Makimura is.

They’ll all see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again, kudos and comments are always always appreciated !!! see yall soon !!!  
> Next chapter, on The Good Timeline, Miki goes on her journey to be seen as who she is. And gains something in the end.


End file.
